The current guidebook presents a unified method to compile emission inventories at national level that are suitable for regional comparison. It also provides a state-of-the-art web-based tool that GCC countries can use to facilitate computations and calculations. In addition, introductory guidance for air pollution dispersion modelling provides countries with an overview of the different methods a...

In 2021, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) West Asia Office with the support of the GCC Secretariat and in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Environment Agency Austria (EAA) organized a capacity-building programme on air quality standards. This guidance document compiles the presentations made at the training programme. This manual is divided into six chapter...

Globally, more than one in four childhood deaths under the age of five are attributable to unhealthy environments. Indicators that systematically track, assess and report on the risks and impact of the environment on children’s health can be used to:Quantify the magnitude of a public health problemDetect notable trends in environmental exposures and health outcomesIdentify subpopulations at risk o...

Direct exposure to household air pollution from cooking and heating with solid fuels caused more than one million deaths (ten lakh) in India in 2021. Household air pollution remains a leading source of ambient air pollution across the country, disproportionately affecting people in rural areas and negatively affecting air quality in urban areas. Sustained, near exclusive use of clean household ene...

Climate mitigation approaches have historically focused on measures to reduce carbon emissions to avoid their long-term impacts. However, this narrow focus fails to recognize the immediate benefit of certain other climate actions with short-term benefits, such as efforts to improve air quality. This limited focus on only long-term impact inadvertently slows global efforts to improve public health,...

Air pollution is a serious public health issue in South and South East Asia, causing  1.5 million deaths annually in the region. This new study – Hazy Perceptions – from Vital Strategies finds many people misunderstand the main sources of air pollution. It also found people focus on short-term events such as haze episodes and personal protection measures – like wearing masks, while long-term ...

Air pollution is responsible for 7 million global deaths annually, including from non-communicable diseases such as cancer. Despite the fact that air pollution-related diseases and deaths are preventable, global action for clean air has been slow. Given the media’s vital role in social and policy change, this article reviewed the existing literature on how the media portrays air pollution and the ...

The Global Household Air Pollution (HAP) Measurements database, commissioned by the World Health Organization, provides an organized summary of data reported in the literature describing HAP microenvironments, methods and measurements. As of June 2018, the database contains measurements from 43 countries obtained from 196 studies published through 2016....

Approximately 3 billion people, most of whom live in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, rely on solid fuels (i.e. wood, crop wastes, dung, charcoal) and kerosene for their cooking needs. Exposure to household air pollution from burning these fuels is estimated to account for approximately 3 million premature deaths a year....

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 72% of all deaths globally and this proportion is growing. Greatest increases in NCD mortality are seen in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Places that only a generation ago knew famine are today experiencing epidemics of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. These epidemics reduce human capital in developing countries an...